Northwestern
3-3 , 1-2
Howard
2-3 , 0-0
‘Cats Start Fast, Hold Off Howard Late For Homecoming Victory, 23-20
10/7/2023 5:46:00 PM | Football
Northwestern puts up 184 rushing yards to move back to .500 mark in 2023
EVANSTON, Ill. (October 7, 2023) - Northwestern raced out to a double-digit lead in the first half before turning away a late rally as it secured a 23-20 Homecoming victory over visiting Howard this afternoon at Ryan Field.
The 'Cats turned in an impressive showing on the ground, putting up 181 rushing yards, an effort spearheaded by a 78-yard day from Cam Porter. Anthony Tyus III tacked on 44 yards on the ground, while quarterback Brendan Sullivan accounted for Northwestern's long run of the afternoon, a 35-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that opened the scoring.
Sullivan led Northwestern's passing attack in his first start of 2023, finishing with 131 yards through the air on 13-of-18 passing, with two touchdowns.Happy Homecoming, Wildcats! ???? pic.twitter.com/RR3s1hplf0
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) October 7, 2023
The pairing of Cam Johnson and Bryce Kirtz were frequent targets for Sullivan, each hauling in four receptions and a touchdown. Johnson collected a 55 yards through the air, while Kirtz added 41 yards of his own.
Xander Mueller starred on the defensive side, closing his day with seven tackles, three of which came for loss, and two sacks. Richie Hagarty also chipped in five tackes and a sack.
How It Happened
Northwestern wasted no time striking. After winning the opening coin toss, the Wildcats engineered a six-play, 75-yard drive that elapsed just 2:09, a drive capped off by a 35-yard scamper by Sullivan to send Northwestern in front, 7-0.
After being setup by a 43-yard punt from Hunter Renner that was downed at the Howard three-yard line, the Northwestern defense took center stage. With the Bison facing third-and-five, Mueller provided the pressure that forced Howard quarterback Quinton Williams into a rushed throw from his own endzone, an attempt that was flagged for intentional grounding and ruled a safety, stretching the Wildcats' lead to 9-0 with 8:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Northwestern added on to its lead just before halftime, taking over from its own 23-yard line after stopping Howard on fourth-and-two. Led by combined 55 yards on the ground from pairing of Porter and Himon II, the Wildcats put together an impressive 14-play, 77-yard drive, punctuated by a four-yard touchdown pass from Sullivan to Bryce Kirtz that sent the 'Cats racing into halftime with a 16-0 lead.
Following an impressive 17-play touchdown drive by Howard to open the second half that covered 74 yards over 7:49, Northwestern answered right back with a touchdown drive of its own. Cam Johnson hauled in three catches on the eight-play drive, the last of which covered 35 yards and pushed the Wildcats' lead to 23-7 with 2:45 to play in the third quarter.
Howard refused to go away without a fight, scoring a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, the last of which trimmed Northwestern's lead to 23-20 with 2:32 remaining in regulation. Northwestern's offense closed the show, picking up three first downs on its final possession to drain the clock and secure its second win in three outings.
Game Notes
» Northwestern shut Howard out in the first half, marking the first time the Wildcats held their opponent scoreless in the first half since Sep. 25, 2021 against Ohio.
» Northwestern converted 7 of 13 third downs while Howard was successful on 7 of 15.
» Xander Mueller set career-highs of 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
» Sullivan completed 72.2% of his passes on the day, going 13-for-18 while averaging 7.3 yards per attempt.
» Quinton Williams led the Bison passing attack, completing 18 of his 30 attempts for 169 yards.
» Eden James paced Howard on the ground with 177 yards and one touchdown.
Up Next
Northwestern will be idle next weekend before returning to action on Saturday, October 21 when it visits Nebraska. A kickoff time and television network are yet to be announced.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
Team Stats
HU 0, NU 7
NU - Sullivan,Brendan 35 yd run (Olsen,Jack kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:09
HU 0, NU 9
NU - Mueller,Xander 0 yd safety
HU 0, NU 16
NU - Kirtz,Bryce 4 yd pass from Sullivan,Brendan (Olsen,Jack kick) 14 plays, 77 yards, TOP 05:31
HU 7, NU 16
HU - Scroggins,Ja'Shawn 1 yd run (West,Dylan kick), 17 plays, 74 yards, TOP 07:49
HU 7, NU 23
NU - Johnson,Cam 35 yd pass from Sullivan,Brendan (Olsen,Jack kick) 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 04:11
HU 13, NU 23
HU - James,Eden 64 yd run (), 1 plays, 64 yards, TOP 00:11
HU 20, NU 23
HU - Hunter,Jarett 1 yd run (West,Dylan kick), 8 plays, 63 yards, TOP 03:26
